Acetylene-generator.



Patented Feb. I3, |900. R. L. BECK.

ACETYLENE GENERATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l,

(No Model.)

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No. 643,243. Patented Feb. I3, |900.

R. L. BECK.

ACETYLENE GENERATOR.

` (Application led Mar. 17, 1899.) (No Mndel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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" TATES t PATEN flfrrrcE.

noDEN L. BECK, oE MELVERN, KANSAS, ASSIGNQR To` WILLIAM J. ARB, on

SAME PLACE.

ACETYLENEGENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,243, dated February 13, 1900.

Application filed March 17, 1899.

To all whom it mayconoern:

Be it known that I, RODEN L. BECK, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Melvern, in the county ot' Osage and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Acetylene- Gas Generator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for the generation and storage of acetylene gas; and the primary object that I have in view is to provide an apparatus in which the carbid containing devices are housed within the storage-gasometer for the purpose of reducing the hoor-space or area occupied by the apparatus and to compactly dispose all the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for feeding or supplying the water in regulated quantities to the vessel containing the carbid and to control the operation of such water-feeding devices by the travel of the iioatable bell in which the gas is stored.

With these ends in View the invention consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand the invention, I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective .view of an acetylene-gas generator constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation taken through the water-feed mechanism and the gasometer. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation of the water-feed devices on a plane at right angles to Fig. 2 and indicated by the dotted line 3 3. Fig. 4E is an enlarged detail view through the devices for Supporting the carbid-pail.

Thesame numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

The tank 10 of the gasometer is similar in construction to devices ordinary in the art, and within said tank is slidably fitted the loatable gas-bell 11, which is arranged to have its lower open end immersed in the water Serial No. 709 ,474. (No model.)

which is contained in said tank to serve as a seal to overcome the escape of the gas and permit the bell to rise and fall under variations in the volume of gas contained in the gasometer.

The carbid pail or vessel 12 of my apparatus is housed or contained within the chamber of the iioat-able gas-bell in order to dispose the elements of the apparatus com pactly 6o and to reduce the area or floor-space occupied by the apparatus. The carbid-pail 12 is of any sui table construction with an open upper end, and said pail has a perforated-or grated bottom 13 and suitable handles lfifor its con- 65 venient manipulation. The pail is fitted removably within a receptacle 15, which is supported within the gasometer, above the level of the water seal therein, by suitable standards 16, and said receptacle 15 is constructed 7o with a sloping or dished bottom 17, which is imperforate. By providing the carbid receptacle or vessel 12 witha perforated or grated bottom the excess of water which is supplied automatically to the carbid-pail by the vwaterfeed devices is permitted to flow into the receptacle 15 and to pass to the center of the dished bottom thereof. From the central point in the bottom of said receptacle leads the waste-pipe 18, which extends downwardly 8o through the tank .lO and is formed with a branch 19, that is extended or carried through said tank, the protruding end of the wastepipe having a suitable cock 192- by which the waste in the form of water from the carbid vessel maybe y drawn off or discharged from the apparatus.

To the outside, of the gasometer-tank is xed a shelf or other suitable support 2O for the Water tank or reservoir 2l, that lies above 9o the level of the carbid-pail 12, and from this elevated tank extends a trapped water-pipe 22. This pipe has its members or branches arranged in vertical positions on the outside and inside, respectively, of the tank 10, and the lower ends of said branches are joined together by a cross connecting branch that passes through the wall of the tank below the lower limit of travel of the floatable bell, whereby the water-inlet pipe 22 is disposed roc: out of the way of the bell. The upper end of the exposed or outside branch of this Waterinlet pipe is attached to the bottom of the elevated water-tank 21, and said end of the pipe branch communicates with a pliable or ilexihle tube 23, preferably of rubber or other analogous material. This pliable tube 23 is situated within the water-reservoir, and with said tube are associated the devices that are operated on the travel of the loatable bell for controlling the admission of water from the tank to the trapped pipe that supplies the water to the carbid-pail within the gasometer. One element ot' the water-feed device is a lever 24, which is of angular form or construction, and one arm of this lever is provided with the guide eyes or loops 25, while its other arm is bent or otherwise fashioned to provide the finger 26, that terminates in a loep 27, which loosely embraces the pliable tube or hose 23 within the waterreservoir. The outside branch of the Waterinlet pipe is provided at or near the point where said pipeisjoined to the water-tank with a valve or cock 28,having a protruding spindle or stem 29, and to this stem is firmly secured the end of the arm forming a part of the lever 24, which is constructed with the guide-eyes 25. The other member or element of the water-feed-operating mechanism is an arm 30, which is attached pivotally, as at 31, to an arm 32a, secured firmly to the head of the oatable bell, and this long arm 30 is arranged to lit loosely or slidably in the guide-eyes 25 of the angular lever 24. It will be noted that the angular lever is fulcrumed on the stem of the cock or valve 28 and is operatively connected to the pliable tube which communicates with the water-inlet pipe, and to this angular lever is slidably connected an arm which is arranged to travel with the iioatable bell. 7When the bell is raised by accumulation lof gas within the gasometer, the arm 30 is lifted, so as to operate the angular lever 24 in a manner to close the valve 28 and at the same time adjust the pliable tube 23 to an upright position for its upper end to protrude above the level of the water in the tank or reservoir. On the descent of the floatable bell, owing to the reduction in the volume of gas due to consumption at the burners, the arm 30 moves in a downward direction and slides through the guide-eyes 25 of the angular lever. Such downward movement of the arm 3() rocks or turns the angular lever in a manner to open the cock 28 and to lower the pliable tube 23, so as to depress the latter below the level of the water iu the tank, Whereby the Water is permitted to pass through the tube while in its depressed position and through the water-inlet pipe for delivery to the carbid-pail 12.

The inside member or branch of the waterinlet pipe extends through the water in the tank 10 and is attached to the receptacle 15. A delivery-nozzle 32 is arranged in ahorizontal position over the carbid-pailfand its receptacle l5, and this nozzle constitutes a continuation of the inside branch of the Waterinlet pipe for the purpose of delivering the water supplied by the pipe over the carbid within the pail 12. If desired, a rose or spreader may be provided on the inner end of the delivery-nozzle to distribute the water over a large area of the carbid; but as this feature is ordinary in the art I have not considered it necessary to illustrate the same. It is necessary to remove the carbid-pail from the receptacle 15 for the purpose of emptying the spent residue and recharging the pail with a fresh supply of active carbid, and as the delivery-nozzle overhangs the pail 12 it follows that the nozzle may be secured detachably to the receptacle 15. I attain this end by making one end of the delivery-nozzle screw-threaded and fastening the same in place on the vessel by means of a threaded joint, (indicated by the numeral 33,) whereby the nozzle may be unscrewed from the receptacleprevious to removing the carbid-pail therefrom.

' The tank l0 is provided at its lower end with a drain-pipe 34, which is secured to the center of the tank-bottom, and the protruding end of this drain-pipe is equipped with a cock 35, by opening which the water may be discharged from the tank.

The gas is conveyed from the tank by an outlet pipe 36, which extends vertically through the water in the tank 10, so that its upper end will communicate with the chamber of the loatable gas-bell, and to the eX- posed end of this gas-outlet pipe may be coupled the service or dwelling pipe by which the burners may be supplied with gas from the apparatus. I also provide a vent-pipe 37 within the gasometer and out of the path of the bell. This vent-pipe has its lower end extended through the tank for union with an olbearing-pipe (not shown) adapted to carry away the surplus gas which may be vented from the apparatus. To the inside of the loatable bell is secured a pipe 38, which is arranged to slide or telescope over the ventpipe, and this telescopic pipe has its upper end arranged to communicate with a short pipe 39, arranged externally on the head of the floatable bell, one end of said short pipe being secured to the bell-head to communi cate with the gas-chamber therein. The lower part of the telescopic pipe on the tloatable bell is formed with a vent-port 40, which in the working condition of the bell is immersed in the water and is sealed thereby to prevent the passage of gas to the vent-pipe. Should the volume of gas accumulate in the bell to such an extent as to raise the bell above a position which is not desirable, the pipe 38 will be lifted to withdraw the vent-port from the seal, and the gas will thus be free to pass through the port into the pipe 38 and thence through the vent-pipe,whereby the volume of gas in the bell will be reduced. The bell will again descend until the vent-port is immersed in the water seal.

In operation a quantity of carbid is placed IOO IIO

in the vessel l2. The iloatable bell is raised out of the gasometer by any suitable appliances-as, for instance, a tackle which may be hitched to the head of the bell-andthe delivery-nozzle is detached. The carbid vessel is placed in the receptacle, the nozzle screwed into place, the bell is lowered, and the arm 30 connected with the lever. As the bell settles in the tank the arm 30 operates the lever to depress the pliable tube and open the cock in the water-pipe, and a quantity of water is admitted to the delivery-nozzle for spraying over the carbid in the vessel or pail. Gas is at once generated by the decomposition of Water and carbid, and it accumulates in the bell to lift the latter, whereby the angular lever is operated to raise the pliable tube and close the valve in the water-inlet pipe. The water-feed devices are thus controlled automatically by the rise and fall of the iioatable bell, and the vent devices are controlled to permit excess in the gas stored in the bell to be vented by the ascent of the bell.

Changes in the form, size, proportion, and minor details of construction may be made within the limits of the appended claims by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

pliable tube coupled to said receiving end of 4o` the pipe and arranged in said tank for its intake free end to be normally disposed above reservoir, of a Water-supply pipe having a.

valve, a pliable tube situated in the reservoir and communicating with the Water-pipe, av

lever fulcrumed on the stem of the valvevand connected with the pliable tube, and an arm movable with the gas-bell and connected with said lever2 substantially as described.

3. `In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with a carbid vessel, and a loatable gas-bell, of a water-reservoir, a Water-pipe, a valve in said pipe, a pliable tube connected with the pipe and arranged in the reservoir, an angular lever having one arm fulcrumed on the stem of the valve, its other arm connected to the pliable tube, and provided with guide-eyes, and an operating-arm pivoted to the bell and slidably fitted in the guide-eyes of the angular lever, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 

